She etched her name in Tasmanian cricket folklore just three months ago but now the Tigers WNCL grand final hero is set to depart the reigning premiers.
The reigning Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) champions will be without its grand final hero with Tasmanian Tigers quick Sarah Coyte signing a two-year deal with New South Wales on Monday.
The 32-year-old, who has been on contract with the Tigers for the past three WNCL seasons, returns home to the Breakers where she began her career as a member of the highly successful squad that won six straight WNCL titles between 2009 and 2015.
After a stint in Adelaide, which included another WNCL grand final win in the 2015/16 season, Coyte’s success followed her to the Tigers with the veteran a key member of the squad that won successive trophies in 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Her most memorable performance in Tasmanian colours was in the most recent of the two WNCL finals, where she took three wickets and was responsible for a run out in the final over of a rain-affected match that saw the Tigers take the unlikeliest of victories to claim back-to-back WNCL titles over South Australia.
While it will be a major loss for the Tigers to lose the competition’s leading wicket taker from last season, New South Wales coach Gavan Twining said Coyte would bring a wealth of experience to the Breakers squad that finished in bottom position last season.
“Sarah has been a very consistent, very successful player for a long, long time and it is exciting to see her come back to NSW,” Twining said.
“We have a pretty young bowling attack, even though a lot of our young players have played at a high level, and Sarah will provide further leadership to that group.
“As well as being a fantastic player, she is just a wonderful person and that is always a positive to bring into any group striving for success.”
In more positive news for the Tasmanian Tigers male program, there is growing speculation that Hobart Hurricanes spin sensation Paddy Dooley has signed a one-year deal for season 2023/24 with an official announcement expected as early as Wednesday.
Originally published as Sarah Coyte to leave Tasmanian Tigers and join New South Wales